1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,435 [MUSIC PLAYING] 2 00:00:15,590 --> 00:00:16,910 Hi, my name is Laura Peterson. 3 00:00:16,910 --> 00:00:19,310 And I work at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, 4 00:00:19,310 --> 00:00:21,950 focusing on public and digital engagement. 5 00:00:21,950 --> 00:00:24,770 Hispanic Heritage Month first began in 1968 6 00:00:24,770 --> 00:00:26,630 as a week-long celebration. 7 00:00:26,630 --> 00:00:30,050 Over 50 years, later it has grown to spend an entire month, 8 00:00:30,050 --> 00:00:33,260 running from September 15 to October 15. 9 00:00:33,260 --> 00:00:35,630 The National Heritage Month pays tribute 10 00:00:35,630 --> 00:00:37,820 to generations of Hispanic Americans 11 00:00:37,820 --> 00:00:40,130 who have positively influenced and enriched 12 00:00:40,130 --> 00:00:42,110 our nation's society. 13 00:00:42,110 --> 00:00:45,590 Today I'm happy to be joined by two members of my team, Alana 14 00:00:45,590 --> 00:00:47,390 Roche, public and digital engagement 15 00:00:47,390 --> 00:00:50,570 lead, and Elena Johnson, public affairs specialist. 16 00:00:50,570 --> 00:00:51,660 Thanks for joining me. 17 00:00:51,660 --> 00:00:54,630 How are you both doing? 18 00:00:54,630 --> 00:00:55,150 Hey, Laura. 19 00:00:55,150 --> 00:00:56,025 Thanks for having us. 20 00:00:56,025 --> 00:00:56,770 Happy to be here. 21 00:00:56,770 --> 00:00:58,870 I'm doing great. 22 00:00:58,870 --> 00:01:00,000 I'm doing great too, Laura. 23 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,140 Happy to be here. 24 00:01:02,140 --> 00:01:04,750 So happy to have you guys on with me. 25 00:01:04,750 --> 00:01:06,400 Well, let's just get right into it. 26 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:08,450 Alana, let's start with you. 27 00:01:08,450 --> 00:01:11,050 Tell us briefly about your work here at NASA 28 00:01:11,050 --> 00:01:15,970 and when you first knew you wanted to join the agency. 29 00:01:15,970 --> 00:01:19,620 Yeah, so I am also a public and digital engagement lead. 30 00:01:19,620 --> 00:01:23,310 I've been here for about three years now. 31 00:01:23,310 --> 00:01:27,790 And some of what I do is public engagement. 32 00:01:27,790 --> 00:01:29,880 But I also do social media, so I take 33 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,090 care of all of our social media here at NASA Armstrong, 34 00:01:33,090 --> 00:01:35,520 also contribute to the headquarters page. 35 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,070 And then also beforehand, I would 36 00:01:38,070 --> 00:01:40,500 help with live events and in-person events, 37 00:01:40,500 --> 00:01:43,600 but now we've moved to the digital landscape. 38 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,250 One of the things that I did here was I 39 00:01:47,250 --> 00:01:49,780 was able to start my career through college. 40 00:01:49,780 --> 00:01:53,440 So I went to a local college at Cal State-San Bernardino. 41 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:55,710 I know that's also where Elena went, 42 00:01:55,710 --> 00:01:59,340 and that's really where I got my start and foot in the door. 43 00:01:59,340 --> 00:02:04,050 It was actually a speaker that came to my college, 44 00:02:04,050 --> 00:02:06,600 and that's how I knew about the job. 45 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,729 I never really thought that I would end up 46 00:02:08,729 --> 00:02:11,490 at NASA being a communications major 47 00:02:11,490 --> 00:02:16,170 but nonetheless was able to apply and get a position here. 48 00:02:19,647 --> 00:02:21,730 So Alana, I know that you went to the same school. 49 00:02:21,730 --> 00:02:24,590 Do you want to tell me about your experience? 50 00:02:24,590 --> 00:02:25,140 Yes. 51 00:02:25,140 --> 00:02:27,320 So me and Alana did go to the same school. 52 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,780 We were both Cal State-San Bernardino alumni. 53 00:02:29,780 --> 00:02:31,610 And just like her, I never thought 54 00:02:31,610 --> 00:02:34,002 I could join the organization. 55 00:02:34,002 --> 00:02:35,960 It wasn't until I received a job recommendation 56 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,540 from one of my professors who was a mentor of mine 57 00:02:38,540 --> 00:02:40,640 while getting my communications degree. 58 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:42,680 And she let me know about the job opening, 59 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:44,870 and I decided to apply. 60 00:02:44,870 --> 00:02:47,810 And I ended up interviewing for a different position 61 00:02:47,810 --> 00:02:48,890 that I'm in now. 62 00:02:48,890 --> 00:02:50,780 And that first position, I didn't end up 63 00:02:50,780 --> 00:02:52,670 getting the job, but the second time around, 64 00:02:52,670 --> 00:02:54,000 I did end up getting the job. 65 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,520 And now I work as a public affairs specialist, and I am-- 66 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,790 the areas that I cover are airborne science and SOFIA. 67 00:03:01,790 --> 00:03:06,500 And another big responsibility that Alana and I share 68 00:03:06,500 --> 00:03:09,860 are doing Spanish translations. 69 00:03:09,860 --> 00:03:13,280 We translate for our Spanish speaking audience. 70 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:18,568 And that's something that we do, and it's been really great. 71 00:03:18,568 --> 00:03:20,610 Alana, do you want to tell me more about the work 72 00:03:20,610 --> 00:03:22,690 that you do with the diverse team? 73 00:03:22,690 --> 00:03:25,920 I know you work with headquarters on that as well. 74 00:03:25,920 --> 00:03:26,430 Yeah. 75 00:03:26,430 --> 00:03:31,020 So I'm honored to be able to be a part of the DEIA team. 76 00:03:31,020 --> 00:03:35,050 So that's our diversity and inclusion team here at NASA. 77 00:03:35,050 --> 00:03:37,980 So I am on the board with headquarters. 78 00:03:37,980 --> 00:03:40,780 I'm one of the five members that's on there. 79 00:03:40,780 --> 00:03:43,500 And basically it's a new thing that we're working on. 80 00:03:43,500 --> 00:03:45,600 We just worked on our plan so that we 81 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,110 can help be more diverse internally, externally, 82 00:03:49,110 --> 00:03:52,260 and just making sure that we're reaching people 83 00:03:52,260 --> 00:03:56,280 at all levels, all races, all genders, 84 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,490 making sure that we're hitting those notes 85 00:03:59,490 --> 00:04:01,200 and applying to all. 86 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:02,790 It's such fun. 87 00:04:02,790 --> 00:04:05,880 I'm also part of the Hispanic team here at NASA, 88 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,340 where, like Alana said, we translate a lot 89 00:04:08,340 --> 00:04:11,760 of our messaging to the public. 90 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,040 And it is something to make sure that I'm 91 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:16,470 reaching a bigger audience. 92 00:04:16,470 --> 00:04:21,200 And I'm really happy to be able to help with that team. 93 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:22,580 That's awesome. 94 00:04:22,580 --> 00:04:25,010 Elena, other than what we just talked about, 95 00:04:25,010 --> 00:04:28,760 is there something specifically that you just 96 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,880 find to be your favorite part of your job? 97 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:33,430 Yeah. 98 00:04:33,430 --> 00:04:35,680 So I would say my favorite part of the job 99 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:37,900 is just the consistent challenge. 100 00:04:37,900 --> 00:04:41,200 I'm constantly learning more and just 101 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,300 working with all the people in our office 102 00:04:43,300 --> 00:04:46,090 and the center and just the agency overall. 103 00:04:46,090 --> 00:04:49,250 It's just a constant challenge and I'm always learning more. 104 00:04:49,250 --> 00:04:54,052 So it keeps me on my toes and it's never really a boring day. 105 00:04:54,052 --> 00:04:55,510 Yeah, I definitely understand where 106 00:04:55,510 --> 00:04:57,220 you're coming from-- me too. 107 00:04:57,220 --> 00:04:59,410 Alana, what about you? 108 00:04:59,410 --> 00:05:01,990 For me, it's going to be interacting with people. 109 00:05:01,990 --> 00:05:04,940 Now it's more on Teams, of course. 110 00:05:04,940 --> 00:05:08,440 But before that it was in person, walking the halls, 111 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,960 meeting different people that I really never thought I 112 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:12,010 would get to meet. 113 00:05:12,010 --> 00:05:13,420 I've met astronauts. 114 00:05:13,420 --> 00:05:15,940 I've met a couple administrators. 115 00:05:15,940 --> 00:05:18,405 I've met different people that I never 116 00:05:18,405 --> 00:05:19,780 thought I would get to meet and I 117 00:05:19,780 --> 00:05:22,480 know I wouldn't have if it wasn't for working here. 118 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,370 And also, my favorite part of my job 119 00:05:24,370 --> 00:05:26,530 is the team that I work with. 120 00:05:26,530 --> 00:05:31,630 We are a small center, but we get a lot done. 121 00:05:31,630 --> 00:05:34,030 And it's really an amazing thing to be 122 00:05:34,030 --> 00:05:36,070 able to be a flight research center 123 00:05:36,070 --> 00:05:39,390 and get a lot of information out there. 124 00:05:39,390 --> 00:05:42,310 Yes, there's definitely a strong sense of community, 125 00:05:42,310 --> 00:05:45,460 especially at our center, since we are one of the smaller ones. 126 00:05:45,460 --> 00:05:49,140 We get to work a lot more with everyone. 127 00:05:49,140 --> 00:05:51,510 Alana, is there any role models that 128 00:05:51,510 --> 00:05:55,210 have inspired you to get to where you are today? 129 00:05:55,210 --> 00:05:57,600 Yeah, my family. 130 00:05:57,600 --> 00:05:59,400 My family is such a big inspiration 131 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:01,620 for me, especially my mom. 132 00:06:01,620 --> 00:06:05,010 My mom is somebody who came from Mexico 133 00:06:05,010 --> 00:06:08,190 and she worked her way up to become successful. 134 00:06:08,190 --> 00:06:10,680 Because of her financial situation, 135 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:12,750 she wasn't able to complete college. 136 00:06:12,750 --> 00:06:14,490 But that didn't really stop her. 137 00:06:14,490 --> 00:06:17,190 She was able to accomplish so much. 138 00:06:17,190 --> 00:06:19,110 She is successful today. 139 00:06:19,110 --> 00:06:20,220 She keeps going. 140 00:06:20,220 --> 00:06:22,690 She's very hardworking. 141 00:06:22,690 --> 00:06:25,650 I think that I'm proud to say I was able to get my work 142 00:06:25,650 --> 00:06:27,630 ethic from her. 143 00:06:27,630 --> 00:06:29,820 We have that can-do attitude. 144 00:06:29,820 --> 00:06:34,590 And I think I just learned a lot from her overall. 145 00:06:34,590 --> 00:06:36,450 And there's other people in my family. 146 00:06:36,450 --> 00:06:41,970 I have an uncle, my uncle Carlos, my aunt Maria, my dad, 147 00:06:41,970 --> 00:06:44,160 I just have so many people around me. 148 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:47,640 Even my cousins that are in this similar age group as me-- 149 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:52,440 we're all really proving ourselves and working hard 150 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:54,210 and keep getting promotions. 151 00:06:54,210 --> 00:06:56,970 And I'm just really, really proud and inspired 152 00:06:56,970 --> 00:07:00,590 by everyone in my family. 153 00:07:00,590 --> 00:07:01,550 That's awesome. 154 00:07:01,550 --> 00:07:04,790 I think it's so important to be surrounded by people 155 00:07:04,790 --> 00:07:08,280 who keep you going for more. 156 00:07:08,280 --> 00:07:10,990 Elena, what about you? 157 00:07:10,990 --> 00:07:13,000 For me, I would say I'm the same way. 158 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,210 I took so much inspiration from my mom. 159 00:07:16,210 --> 00:07:18,280 She was such a hard worker. 160 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,820 Unfortunately, she did pass away recently in December of 2020. 161 00:07:21,820 --> 00:07:25,450 So she's no longer with us, but she was such a great worker 162 00:07:25,450 --> 00:07:28,660 and she was constantly going above and beyond. 163 00:07:28,660 --> 00:07:31,750 And her work ethic really inspired my work ethic. 164 00:07:31,750 --> 00:07:34,780 And I also took really great inspiration 165 00:07:34,780 --> 00:07:38,585 from Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla. 166 00:07:38,585 --> 00:07:40,210 I feel like I really resonated with her 167 00:07:40,210 --> 00:07:42,790 when I was younger watching her movie 168 00:07:42,790 --> 00:07:44,930 and hearing about her story. 169 00:07:44,930 --> 00:07:46,600 So that's really shaped kind of who 170 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:49,480 I am and made me feel kind of welcomed 171 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:51,890 and I guess I'm supposed to be here 172 00:07:51,890 --> 00:07:55,755 and that there are other people who are like me out there. 173 00:07:55,755 --> 00:07:56,380 That's awesome. 174 00:07:56,380 --> 00:07:58,660 So where, Elena, are you specifically-- where 175 00:07:58,660 --> 00:08:00,850 does your family originate from? 176 00:08:00,850 --> 00:08:05,320 Yeah, so I'm half Mexican on my mom's side. 177 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,920 My grandparents are from Zacatecas, Mexico. 178 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,440 They decided to immigrate to California 179 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,840 and they ended up in La Puente, California. 180 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:18,010 And they ended up raising six kids, including my mom. 181 00:08:18,010 --> 00:08:23,350 And yeah, they really wanted to be here 182 00:08:23,350 --> 00:08:27,160 for a better opportunity to give their kids a better opportunity 183 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,490 and also give their kids' kids, which is me, 184 00:08:30,490 --> 00:08:31,600 a better opportunity. 185 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:35,980 And I feel like that has really shown where we're at right now. 186 00:08:35,980 --> 00:08:40,940 And yeah, it's really great. 187 00:08:40,940 --> 00:08:43,039 Alana, what about you? 188 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:45,860 Yeah, so my dad's actually from New Orleans. 189 00:08:45,860 --> 00:08:47,570 So he was born and raised there. 190 00:08:47,570 --> 00:08:50,300 I have a big family and big sense of community 191 00:08:50,300 --> 00:08:53,390 from New Orleans, but my mom is from Mexico. 192 00:08:53,390 --> 00:08:57,410 Her mother is from a small town called Apatzingan, 193 00:08:57,410 --> 00:09:01,070 and my grandpa is from a small town called Chihuahua. 194 00:09:01,070 --> 00:09:04,220 And those are both in Michoacan, Mexico. 195 00:09:04,220 --> 00:09:07,550 And funny, like Elena, my family, 196 00:09:07,550 --> 00:09:10,100 when they first came to the country, they went to East LA, 197 00:09:10,100 --> 00:09:12,230 but they did end up in La Puente. 198 00:09:12,230 --> 00:09:15,620 So I'm starting to see that we have a lot of similarities 199 00:09:15,620 --> 00:09:16,280 here. 200 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:20,660 But yeah, they came to this country with the same 201 00:09:20,660 --> 00:09:22,100 as Elena, with big dreams. 202 00:09:22,100 --> 00:09:24,140 And luckily, a lot of my mom's siblings 203 00:09:24,140 --> 00:09:26,810 have also been very successful. 204 00:09:26,810 --> 00:09:28,730 And I have a huge family. 205 00:09:28,730 --> 00:09:31,160 I think my grandparents have something 206 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:34,220 like 12 grandchildren. 207 00:09:34,220 --> 00:09:36,590 So we have a huge sense of family 208 00:09:36,590 --> 00:09:41,510 and definitely have our roots here in the United States. 209 00:09:41,510 --> 00:09:43,970 Wow, that's a lot of grandkids. 210 00:09:43,970 --> 00:09:48,500 But a small world that you guys both have roots in La Puente. 211 00:09:48,500 --> 00:09:51,140 So Alana, are there any traditions 212 00:09:51,140 --> 00:09:54,280 that resonate with you? 213 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,790 Yeah, when I think of traditions, I think of food. 214 00:09:57,790 --> 00:10:00,370 Because it seems to me like everything 215 00:10:00,370 --> 00:10:04,480 that I have in my family or every gathering that we have, 216 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:06,070 it's like, what are we eating? 217 00:10:06,070 --> 00:10:08,420 What's going on? 218 00:10:08,420 --> 00:10:09,250 What are we making? 219 00:10:09,250 --> 00:10:10,930 What's happening? 220 00:10:10,930 --> 00:10:15,970 Tamales during Christmas time, pozole when it's cold. 221 00:10:15,970 --> 00:10:19,240 We always have some kind of family tradition 222 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:20,860 during different times. 223 00:10:20,860 --> 00:10:23,350 And I know that at every family gathering, 224 00:10:23,350 --> 00:10:24,850 we're going to have really good food 225 00:10:24,850 --> 00:10:26,530 and we're going to have a lot of it. 226 00:10:26,530 --> 00:10:29,110 And that's just something that my family has always 227 00:10:29,110 --> 00:10:31,610 brought me up in. 228 00:10:31,610 --> 00:10:33,230 Yeah, that's actually very similar. 229 00:10:33,230 --> 00:10:37,310 I'm Italian and grew up in a very similar household 230 00:10:37,310 --> 00:10:39,200 with the respect that holidays are always 231 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,410 associated with food and traditional food as well. 232 00:10:42,410 --> 00:10:45,110 Like Christmas Eve, it's always the fish. 233 00:10:45,110 --> 00:10:48,170 Elena, what about you? 234 00:10:48,170 --> 00:10:50,720 Yes, I have to say the same. 235 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:56,360 For my family too, we really do celebrate our traditions 236 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:57,080 in food. 237 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:00,350 And just like Alana said, we're very similar. 238 00:11:00,350 --> 00:11:01,340 And we are the same. 239 00:11:01,340 --> 00:11:04,130 We do tamales for Christmas, pozole for Thanksgiving 240 00:11:04,130 --> 00:11:05,540 or for whatever it's cold. 241 00:11:05,540 --> 00:11:08,960 And yeah, that's a great way for all 242 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:10,610 of our family to come together. 243 00:11:10,610 --> 00:11:13,760 And it's a great way for me to learn from my grandparents 244 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,700 how they cook and just the traditions that they brought 245 00:11:16,700 --> 00:11:19,910 over from Mexico and just learning more from them 246 00:11:19,910 --> 00:11:22,430 and being surrounded by so much food 247 00:11:22,430 --> 00:11:26,180 because it's great eating and indulging 248 00:11:26,180 --> 00:11:27,920 into so many different foods. 249 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,460 And I feel like a lot of people can really 250 00:11:31,460 --> 00:11:33,950 connect together with food. 251 00:11:33,950 --> 00:11:35,930 Yes, definitely. 252 00:11:35,930 --> 00:11:40,340 I know that food is something that people can always relate 253 00:11:40,340 --> 00:11:42,305 to and come together for. 254 00:11:45,570 --> 00:11:49,250 Alana, what does Hispanic Heritage Month really 255 00:11:49,250 --> 00:11:51,200 mean to you? 256 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:55,490 So Hispanic Heritage Month means to me just a time for all of us 257 00:11:55,490 --> 00:11:59,810 to kind of reflect and think back on where our families are 258 00:11:59,810 --> 00:12:03,980 from, where we've come from and how far we've come along, 259 00:12:03,980 --> 00:12:05,845 and just really reflecting on those things. 260 00:12:05,845 --> 00:12:07,220 I feel like this is a time for me 261 00:12:07,220 --> 00:12:10,353 to really think about that and to kind of share my experience. 262 00:12:10,353 --> 00:12:12,020 I feel like most of the time, I wouldn't 263 00:12:12,020 --> 00:12:14,030 be able to share an experience like this. 264 00:12:14,030 --> 00:12:18,200 And it's really great to connect with my coworker Elena on this, 265 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,310 and it's just really awesome. 266 00:12:20,310 --> 00:12:23,540 And so yeah, I think that's just a great way 267 00:12:23,540 --> 00:12:25,310 to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. 268 00:12:25,310 --> 00:12:27,530 And for other people, I think it's a great time 269 00:12:27,530 --> 00:12:31,280 to learn about other cultures and other races 270 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:34,333 and just a time for us to learn about all the different people 271 00:12:34,333 --> 00:12:36,500 that make up Hispanic Heritage Month because there's 272 00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:39,350 just so many groups, so many different people. 273 00:12:39,350 --> 00:12:43,430 And it's a really big room. 274 00:12:43,430 --> 00:12:45,650 Yeah, I can completely agree with you on that one. 275 00:12:45,650 --> 00:12:50,060 Elena, what does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you? 276 00:12:50,060 --> 00:12:52,850 To me, it just really means learning. 277 00:12:52,850 --> 00:12:55,550 So I'm, like Alana said, learning 278 00:12:55,550 --> 00:12:57,260 about different cultures. 279 00:12:57,260 --> 00:13:00,410 Hispanic Heritage has such a huge community. 280 00:13:00,410 --> 00:13:05,450 There's so many different Latino and Hispanic cultures. 281 00:13:05,450 --> 00:13:08,930 And I'm Mexican, but I'm also learning about so 282 00:13:08,930 --> 00:13:10,820 many different kinds and learning 283 00:13:10,820 --> 00:13:13,610 how we have similarities and how some of our traditions 284 00:13:13,610 --> 00:13:14,580 are very similar. 285 00:13:14,580 --> 00:13:16,070 But then some of them aren't. 286 00:13:16,070 --> 00:13:17,960 And I think for others, it's the same. 287 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:19,130 It's about learning. 288 00:13:19,130 --> 00:13:22,377 I take these months as learning about other cultures 289 00:13:22,377 --> 00:13:23,960 and then also learning more about mine 290 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:27,200 that I maybe didn't know about. 291 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:28,070 Yes, definitely. 292 00:13:28,070 --> 00:13:29,540 Now one last question. 293 00:13:29,540 --> 00:13:32,630 Elena, do you have any advice that you'd 294 00:13:32,630 --> 00:13:38,170 give to young individuals interested in a career in NASA? 295 00:13:38,170 --> 00:13:43,460 I'm just going to go ahead and say, go for it. 296 00:13:43,460 --> 00:13:46,420 One of my favorite things to live by 297 00:13:46,420 --> 00:13:49,570 is kind of fake it till you make it. 298 00:13:49,570 --> 00:13:52,600 And when I say that, I don't mean lie your way. 299 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:57,040 I don't mean lie on your resume or lie to get to where you are. 300 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,690 I mean you're here for a reason. 301 00:13:59,690 --> 00:14:01,480 You got to where you are. 302 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:03,640 And just go for it. 303 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,510 Don't let anything stop you. 304 00:14:07,510 --> 00:14:10,240 Don't let the feeling of maybe you're 305 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:13,240 not where you're supposed to be or you aren't sure 306 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,790 if you should go for it and just go for it. 307 00:14:15,790 --> 00:14:17,920 Keep pushing, keep going. 308 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,050 You'll get to where you need to be. 309 00:14:20,050 --> 00:14:21,340 Set yourself up. 310 00:14:21,340 --> 00:14:24,160 Ask other people that are in the field that you want to be in. 311 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,620 Or ask for mentors. 312 00:14:26,620 --> 00:14:29,020 Ask questions. 313 00:14:29,020 --> 00:14:31,510 One of my biggest thing is I'm always learning, 314 00:14:31,510 --> 00:14:34,600 I don't allow other people to make 315 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:38,260 me feel like I'm less than. 316 00:14:38,260 --> 00:14:40,120 Learn from those people. 317 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:44,590 Ask questions and continue to learn. 318 00:14:44,590 --> 00:14:50,160 And you'll always have a space where you need to be. 319 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,100 Yes, I think it's so important for young individuals 320 00:14:53,100 --> 00:14:53,730 to know that. 321 00:14:53,730 --> 00:14:56,250 It's so important to have the confidence 322 00:14:56,250 --> 00:15:02,340 to progress and to have the confidence to continue to grow. 323 00:15:02,340 --> 00:15:04,890 Alana, what about you? 324 00:15:04,890 --> 00:15:07,910 So my advice would be to just never give up 325 00:15:07,910 --> 00:15:13,260 and to not take failure as an option. 326 00:15:13,260 --> 00:15:14,640 Failure is OK. 327 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:17,780 And it's OK to fail sometimes. 328 00:15:17,780 --> 00:15:21,740 Just like for me in college, I failed a quarter one time. 329 00:15:21,740 --> 00:15:24,770 And I never thought I could be here at NASA, but here I am. 330 00:15:24,770 --> 00:15:27,950 I graduated as a first generation grad student 331 00:15:27,950 --> 00:15:31,670 or alumni, I guess you can say first generation college 332 00:15:31,670 --> 00:15:32,270 student. 333 00:15:32,270 --> 00:15:36,320 And yeah, I just never thought I could be here. 334 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,260 And I think that's advice that anybody 335 00:15:39,260 --> 00:15:42,470 could take to just be OK with failure 336 00:15:42,470 --> 00:15:46,160 and be fine with making mistakes and embracing those mistakes 337 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:48,020 and using those to your advantage 338 00:15:48,020 --> 00:15:49,730 and getting to where you want to be, 339 00:15:49,730 --> 00:15:52,500 because you are meant to be where you are, 340 00:15:52,500 --> 00:15:53,450 where you want to be. 341 00:15:53,450 --> 00:15:56,352 And don't let the imposter syndrome, the feeling 342 00:15:56,352 --> 00:15:58,310 of not feeling like you're supposed to be here, 343 00:15:58,310 --> 00:15:59,600 don't let that get to you. 344 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,993 And yeah, I think that's just my best 345 00:16:01,993 --> 00:16:04,160 advice to give because it's something that I'm still 346 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:06,320 working through but something that I 347 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,110 feel everybody needs to hear. 348 00:16:09,110 --> 00:16:10,100 Yes, definitely. 349 00:16:10,100 --> 00:16:13,550 And I think it's an important reminder for young adults 350 00:16:13,550 --> 00:16:16,310 that no one is expecting you to have it all together 351 00:16:16,310 --> 00:16:16,940 immediately. 352 00:16:16,940 --> 00:16:20,220 So take the time to learn. 353 00:16:20,220 --> 00:16:22,040 I do want to thank you both very much 354 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:24,680 for virtually being with me here today. 355 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,680 As someone who's not a part of the Hispanic community, 356 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,080 this has personally given me the opportunity 357 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:32,330 to learn more about the culture. 358 00:16:32,330 --> 00:16:34,730 Do either of you have any closing remarks 359 00:16:34,730 --> 00:16:35,630 you'd like to make? 360 00:16:35,630 --> 00:16:37,730 Elena? 361 00:16:37,730 --> 00:16:40,280 I just want to thank you for the opportunity to be here, 362 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,230 and I'm really proud to be able to share more 363 00:16:42,230 --> 00:16:46,910 about my Latino heritage. 364 00:16:46,910 --> 00:16:48,920 Yeah and I'm really proud too. 365 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:50,510 I'm so thankful to be here. 366 00:16:50,510 --> 00:16:53,720 And thank you, Laura, for taking the time to hear our stories. 367 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,720 And thank you for giving us a space to share our time. 368 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,370 I'm really thankful and appreciate it.